Roots for the Future Initiative

The word Sʔulíp is the Spokane Salish language word for “flame," the moniker for the region's Northeast Washington Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (NE WA IPBN).  LF serves as a core team member and co-facilitator of Sʔulíp, which includes nineteen different entities: Tribal Nations & Indigenous Peoples, inter-Tribal & nongovernment organizations, academic & education institutions, state & federal agencies.  During 2025, LF developed a newsletter, Embers, to support Sʔulíp meetings and information sharing.  Sʔulíp also collaborated to develop five priority goals to focus efforts on.

 Recognizing the unique needs of nursery programs administered by and for Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples, and the priority of supporting biodiversity and food security for the next Seven Generations, the Indigenous Nurseries for Plant Relatives (INPR) subcommittee of the Inter-Tribal Native Plant & Seed Working Group (INPSWG) was born in late 2025.  INPR was initially referred to as "Tribal Greenhouse Programs," but participants decided to rename it in 2026.  LF facilitates INPR and supports the INPSWG, which was developed by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP).  Our volunteer group is working to develop partnerships, identify goals, and strategize priorities.  As LF works to build out these resources, we encourage individuals and entities interested in learning more about INPR and INPSWG to connect with us and stay tuned in for updates.  We hope to see you at the 2027 National Native Seed Conference!